Too soon to guess, in too deep to evade
by RoseScor90
Summary: Written for the Don't get too friendly challenge! The prompt was the song Sand in your shoes by this providence! Scorpius is intrigued by Rose whom he meets at a party. Will he see her as the freak the world claims? Why is he bothered any way?


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters…**

Scorpius heaved a sigh as he watched the insanely happy people around him.

Seeing so many overjoyed faces made him feel like gagging.

When Scorpius had decided to come to the engagement party of Teddy and Victoire, he had known very well that it would be overcrowded, and overflowing with dramatics.

That was why he had taken a seat at the corner of the drawing room at Shell Cottage as soon as he had congratulated the couple.

Not that Scorpius had a grudge against either of them.

If ever he knew a person who deserved happiness, it would have to be Teddy and him and Victoire were the most 'in love' couple he had seen.

He was contemplating leaving the place discreetly when he sensed some one's stare.

He came eye to eye with Rose Weasley, who was at the other end of the room and was staring intently at him, as if she was considering if he was the giant squid or the three headed puppy. An all knowing smile broke on her face, confusing him further.

While he was watching her, she approached him, and said, "You seem to be bored?"

Startled more by her speaking to him than by her question, he took a moment before answering, "Yes"

"Would you like to go to the beach?"

"Sure"

He accepted the invite since he had nothing better to do.

They exited the house and Rose led him straight towards a grave nearby. The grave, he knew, of Dobby, the house elf who had saved Mr Potter's life during the second war.

They stood there for a few minutes, she silently looking at the grave, and he, at her.

Finally, she looked up at him with an unfathomable expression which he guessed as a mixture between thoughtfulness and surprise, though he wasn't sure of the reason for either.

"Let's go" she said and began climbing down the steep rocks beside the house quite easily.

Scorpius looked at the foreboding rocks, frightened to even guess what would remain of him if he slipped.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?"

Her voice sounded impatient and he took a step forward, placing his foot on one of the rugged rocks.

He found a foothold and began taking further steps and before he realized it, he was half way down.

He heard a splash below him and saw that she had landed on the shore.

The waves were splashing on the rocks he was climbing and she was thoroughly drenched by the time he was on solid ground.

The sound of delighted laughter reached his ears before he saw her and if he hadn't known better, he'd have thought it was a child laughing.

Her laugh was so innocent and pure. Hearing her laughter, he knew her happiness was genuine.

They walked along the beach, as the waves continued to splash them with water.

The sun had just set and the water was warm, not at all the ice cold spray he had first imagined.

"So?"

"So?"

"Say some thing. I hate these awkward silences"

"I'm afraid you've chosen the wrong person for small talk"

"Oh, that's nonsense! Everybody likes small talk. Even you! Not long ago I saw you try to strike up a conversation with Roxanne about Quidditch. Wrong move, actually. She'll be talking even when we return"

Scorpius laughed at the statement. She was honest to a fault and there was no way he could contradict her.

"So may be I am interested in small talk but there needs to be something in common among the two, right?"

"We have a lot in common!"

"Like?"

"We were both bored with all that partying, right?"

"Gotta admit, you're right. No offence to your cousins, of course"

"None taken. Why did you come in the first place then?"

"Me and Teddy…we go a long way back. And of course the very obvious reason that he's my senior at the Auror headquarters"

"You see him quite often?"

"Not so much. It's been just six months since I joined, anyway"

"You joined right after graduation? No going around the world ideas?"

"I'm not one for traveling much"

He found a cluster of rocks beside a large tree, and sat on one of them, enjoying the cool shade it offered.

Rose sat opposite him, back from her reverie.

"Is being an Auror fun?"

"Fun!"

He had never thought of it quite from that point of view but, now that he did, it was certainly pleasing.

"Sure…" he said after some contemplation, and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, Al always used to complain about how difficult it was"

"The first few weeks are the toughest. Once you get used to it though, you begin to enjoy it"

"Hmm…Did you like Hogwarts?"

They continued this way, with her spouting random questions from time to time surprising him and making him laugh, and him answering them as best as he could.

When they began their journey backwards, it was well past midnight and the way was very dark.

Both their Lumos was needed for them to find the way and even then, they had to go the round about way to reach the house.

It had been a week since the party and the third time he had come to the beach.

He knew he was being stupid extraordinaire, hoping that she'd come here, but that didn't seem to stop his legs from leading him here of their own.

The same enchanting laugh greeted him today and she was standing before him, hair flying behind her, like a run away fairy.

"Hi! You come here often?"

"No, why?"

"Well…I've seen you here quite a lot this week"

"You were here?"

"Sure. I come here as often as I can. I love the sea, you see. And the waves"

"I never noticed you"

"I tend to go unnoticed by many" she stated matter of factly, beginning to walk along the beach.

"You don't mind?"

"Oh no! I like doing what I want. I don't need to act in any manner for some one else. I've been independent for so long, I'd hate to be famous and in the spot light"

This wasn't the person he had imagined her as at all.

"Do you mind? I feel like standing in the waves"

"Okay!" he lay on the beach, away from the water watching the sunset, and thinking of all that she had said.

This was the first time he had seen a Weasley who was this…different.

She wasn't the passionate, fiery person he had naturally assumed she would be.

Instead, she was like the cool sea she seemed to be drawn to so much.

He saw that she was now dancing in the waves, the water surrounding her, enhancing her red tresses.

Captivated, he kept watching her jump around the waves, quite at home.

She finally settled down beside him, excited as a child on Christmas.

"Whew! I'm feeling so happy today! Wanna know why?"

"Yes?"

"Because you're here, of course! It's always nice to have company!"

Scorpius squinted his eyes as the sunlight peeked in through the closed windows of his room.

He looked at the clock beside him hurriedly, and relaxed seeing that it was still a few hours till he was to meet with Rose.

The past weeks had gone by quite pleasantly and Scorpius had come to expect those evenings when he'd go to the beach where he'd find her either playing with the waves or gazing at the sea.

Today though, they had decided to meet at Diagon Alley and she was running late.

While waiting for her, he saw Teddy come towards him, his smile instant.

"Hiya, Scor!"

"Hi Teddy! Can't see you at the office much now a days?"

"Could be because you don't work as late now a days. Found yourself a girlfriend at last?"

"Girlf…" his voice trailed off as he realized that it was the nearest definition to his relationship with Rose.

"Scorpius?"

"No! Just had a bit of work" he avoided the truth steadily, reverting to easier waters.

"How's Victoire?"

"She's been promoted!"

Teddy's voice was obviously filled with pride as he gave him the news.

"And you never told me?"

An incredulous voice interrupted Scorpius' congratulations, and Rose appeared from behind.

"Rose! I've been searching for you for the past week! I heard that you haven't been to Shell Cottage since the party?"

"Yeah! Tell Vic that I'll be there the next weekend"

"Sure! Gotta go. See ya! Scor, Rose! Enjoy yourselves!"

He winked before leaving, leaving an embarrassed pair behind.

"Shall we go?"

"Huh? Yeah!"

Rose was unnaturally silent that day, as if she was thinking of some thing as severe as the fate of the world.

"You're very quiet today?"

"My silence amuses you"

"It's just so unlike you to not express your views on each and every thing you see"

He looked into her troubled eyes, which were the palest of all shades of blue.

"You think I'm opinionated?"

"No. Just that you are very straight forward…" he stopped his explanation, seeing her eyebrows draw together.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking…its nothing. Shall we go to the beach?"

"Okay"

It had been a few hours since they had reached the beach, and Rose was yet to speak a syllable.

She stood facing the sea, her look far off.

More worried than impatient, he placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

"Some thing's wrong"

"Oh no…It was…"

"Nothing? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"You won't want to know what I have to say"

"Why don't you try first?"

"Do you think I'm different?"

"Not quite in that wording. Unique, singular…"

"You think I'm a freak?"

"Why would I think that?"

"Why else would you be so interested in me?"

"Do I need to have a reason? I like talking to you. Just that"

"It doesn't bother you that I am a freak"

"Who ever told you that? You are definitely not one!"

"But I don't do the things that normal people do! I don't like shopping, I hate make up, I don't care about how I look and I don't date!"

"How do you know that's what 'normal' people do?"

"Every body does it!"

"Every body could be insane"

Seeing a smile finally appear on her face gave him an unnatural satisfaction, as if he had saved a kid from the wheel.

"You alright now?"

"I'm fine now. I was just being silly as usual"

She skipped down to the water, back to her bubbly self.

Scorpius was left to brood over his own conflicting emotions.

He wondered when he had started caring about what she felt.

At school, they had neither been friends nor enemies.

Indifference would have been the only way to define them.

Why then was he suddenly so worried about her?

Why did he suddenly wish to make her cheerful?

Why did he feel the inexplicable need to see her smiling face every day?

May be he was being foolish, but if fools felt this happy, then he'd gladly remain one.

There was still a lot of time for him to figure it out, and he was willing to wait, if he was sure she'll always be there with him.

After all, he was only eighteen.

A/n:Review!


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